In different times, it would be difficult not to consider a run of 18 wins and a draw in our most recent 19 fixtures across all competitions as anything other than a performance highpoint. But we were made to fight to hold onto our advantage late in the game against Dundee yesterday, while Newco snatched a late equaliser a week earlier – a goal which had been on the cards for some minutes.
Tiredness looks to have crept in.
Like Aberdeen, Celtic had six European games to contend with over the summer, although the intensity of five of Celtic’s games was of a higher level than that of Aberdeen’s. Then there is the matter of the Champions League group stage; six nights of the most acute energy sapping football available, and that’s just for the fans.
There is also the matter of the new regime to factor in. Training changed when Brendan Rodgers arrived, new levels of fitness were required and reached.
Talk to any athlete and they’ll tell you their fitness varies in a planned manner across the year. There is a recovery period, a time when they lay down base fitness, a time for improvement, then peak fitness is reached. But peak fitness doesn’t last forever, you have a window before burn-out, then often a cliff-edge.
Body and mind become tired as the athlete approaches the recovery period. The January break will have helped, but that wasn’t long enough to go through the cycle of recovery-to-peak. Evidence for this is most readily available in our current star performer, Stuart Armstrong, who has played 36% fewer minutes than club captain, Scott Brown.
While many Scottish clubs will look ahead to the international break in anticipation their players will get some time off, Celtic will lose the vast majority of their squad to full and youth international sides. The playing surface at Celtic Park might get a rest during international weeks, but the players don’t.
Despite this, I expect we’ll cling on to top spot and take the title. If we get the win at Tynecastle next time out, I also expect Brendan to prioritise the Scottish Cup, and rest significant numbers for the games against Partick, Kilmarnock and Ross County.
We’ll pounce onto the Hampden surface with renewed purpose.
In different times (#2), news that Rangers’ QC, Andrew Thornill, who led their defence against HMRC for their use of EBTs, has been made bankrupt by HMRC would be too ridiculous to be true. But for that lot, it’s just a minor footnote in the final chapters of their ridiculous history.
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NEIL LENNON & MCCARTNEY on 21ST MARCH 2017 2:51 AM
NEIL LENNON & MCCARTNEY on 21ST MARCH 2017 2:51 AM
Great compilation.
Thank you.
Looks like a real prospect.
All Ozzie Tims will hopefully take an interest.
TD67 sorry to hear about your Mum passing. Rest in peace Annie. Look after yersel and yer family mate. Remember the good times.
TONYDONNELLY
Sorry to hear about your Mum,mate
R I P,Annie.
Tony, I am very sorry to read the news of the passing of your mum. May she rest in peace, and my condolences to your good self and all that will miss her.
YNWA
KevinBhoy
Jeez bit of patience with ko-e bhoy.
The boy is 19, in a new job and has came on twice as sub into a maimly settled team.patience,Brendan will have a plan.With Tom r on way back I hope they both add to our midfield as season ends.
HH
Macjay,
I’m hoping our Ozzie Tim scouts are taking more than just an interest!
Anyone out there in Adelaide that has seen him live?
HH
Tony Donnelly67
May Annie rest in peace .
HH
TD67
Sad to hear of the passing of your Mum. Thoughts with you and yours at this time.
NEIL LENNON & MCCARTNEY on 21ST MARCH 2017 5:16 AM
Macjay,
I’m hoping our Ozzie Tim scouts are taking more than just an interest!
Anyone out there in Adelaide that has seen him live?
HH
============================================================
I sent the compilation to a mate of mine who lives in Adelaide.
My understanding is that Willie Wallace played a significant role in the acquisition of Tom Rogic.
I`ll bet that he is well clued up on McGree.
Martin McGuinness
Rest in peace
HH
White out in ML3.
RIP
Martin McGuinness.
Martin McGuiness RIP
His sterling efforts for post conflict peace recognised in a beautiful tribute by the President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins on RTE website.
Good morning CQN from a cool, clear and dry East Devon. Brass monkey weather.
Good morning friends from a complete whitout in East Kilbride, with heavy snow still falling.
John James has a new article regarding King coming to London today to solicit funding from Park to prepare a prospectus for buying the shares which he has been instructed to do. Interesting title “Did The Three Bears Shit In The Woods?”. If this saga was a work of fiction most people would find the entire scenario incredible IMO. HH
Good morning, Jobo.
Snow? What is that? Windy in Arbroath but dry. Did you receive my details?
JJ
Hit Smoked – yes saw your email. CRC deals with that side of things so I’m sure he’ll have it in hand shortly.
Hit? Hot – apologies.
An Tearmann
Given the interesting, er, interpretation of the rules of the game by Scottish MIBs, I’m not sure if “maimly settled team” is a typo or not!
So sad to hear about the passing of Martin McGuinness – a true son of Ireland.
Planned trip to Manchester off to a slow start as all roads to M74 are fecked. Did we not know that snow was forecast?
Rest In Peace Martin, 66 is no age at all..
An Irishman from first to last..
SP
Beatbhoy
I get you ;-) meant in the main our midfoeld is settled. Tho as you rightly hint its generally unsettled by no protection from mibs :-)
HH
Thanks, Jobo.
Hit Smoked? No need to apologise…..I quite like the Ol` Hit Smoked moniker 0:-)
Is it at all possible that the Referees in Scotland are not as biased as we think?
Most football supporters I know feel the refs help us against whoever their team might be .Try as we might, it is at least possible that a combination of our love of Celtic and our suspicion of the Scottish Establishment could colour our judgement just as our opponents feel the officials favour the `Big Team`.
To be clear, I am not saying I believe there is no anti-Celtic bias in Caledonia.It is simply that, as it is International week, we need something to talk about 0:-).
JJ
Jimmynotpaul on 20th March 2017 6:01 pm
EmeraldBee\o/ still proud to be an internet bampot on 20th March 2017 6:07 pm
I am certain we will see some fixture manipulation over the home/away games post split!
BSR – I agree it’s a bit of rip-off for the postage; should only be about £2 to send reordered.
KTF
Very sad news again for the people of Derry with the death of Martin McGuinness.
Fíor loach ar son na hÉireann. RIP.
Hot Smoked
“Is it at all possible that the Referees in Scotland are not as biased as we think?”
*****
Although that is a maddening post, I’ve stopped beaton myself up about this matter, as it’s had enough collum inches.
Dallas word on this from me!
RIP Martin McGuiness who did more than his share to bring us nearer to where the old country will eventually be.
DR has a Slovenian defender from Hearts providing Sevcoites with crumbs of comfort.
” Asked how he rates Aberdeen , Struna said: “I don’t think they are better. They have more points and because of that you can say they are better.
“Aberdeen know what they can do, they know their strengths. They play simple and the plan is good for them.
“But from what I have seen Rangers may be better in the field.”
Hardly a ringing endorsement. I, also, think they would be better out in a field….. some of them harnessed to ploughs maybe.
Word of The Day (Inspired by SFTB)
Ursine /ˈɜːsaɪn/
adjective
1. of, relating to, or resembling a bear or bears
2. bearlike
Word Origin
C16: from Latin ursus a bear
KTF
HOT SMOKED
Most of the referees in Scotland ARE biased and corrupt(against Celtic).The other 10% are just inadequate . The fact that theirs bosses are biased in the same way just compounds the problem . Throw the media into the mix and we see what we are uniquely up against.
I seen enough football in other places to realise the difference between refs just having a poor game and what Celtic has to contend with.
Other teams supporters should realise that the difference is simply that we usually have the stronger team and thats why we beat them.
VFR
Probably plenty on here well acquainted with today’s word, as a poster from the dark side who used to post on here used the moniker Edward Ursus.
He seemed to be quite well liked by some, given the nature of his posts, as I remember.
Hot Smoked
Didn’t anyone send a link of Übermib Steven McLean’s ‘handball’ moment to FIFA??
http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/39327805
Fella’s
Can I thank you all for the touching condolences from each and every one of you on behalf of my close friend Tony Donnelly,
I know he would be thankful of the lovely words spoken.
Annie was a great wee lady about 4 feet 11 in her socks, she loved the Celtic and Neil Lennon with an absolute passion .
Many a tv remote got launched at the telly when tanner and his ilk said anything untoward about them both.
Tony will be back in his own time, and I know he will take comfort from all the kind words, thank you again on behalf of the entire Donnelly clan.
Ah well, I suppose a wee response is better than no response at all.
My own view is that of course there is bias against us in Scotland. My `evidence`that we are not just being blinkered is that we might think that some officials have a bad night in European games and seem to favour teams from the Big Four but, overall, we do not think they are biased against Celtic.
JJ